Prominent classics scholar to lecture on early Greek art

University of Oregon scholar Jeffrey M. Hurwit will deliver the 14 ^th annual Classical World Lecture at Skidmore on Monday, March 7. Titled "The Shipwreck of Odysseus and Late Geometric Art," the talk will begin at 5:45 p.m. in Davis Auditorium, Palamountain Hall. Admission is free and open to the public.

How do Greek vase painters represent their myths? Usually there are clues, such as traditional iconography or labels to tell us who is who and what is what. For Greek vases of the Geometric period, however, this question does not have easy answers.

At his lecture Hurwit will consider an eighth-century Greek vase that used to be considered a painting of the shipwreck of the Homeric hero, Odysseus. Has the painter depicted a mythological scene or a generic scene of everyday life? How do we know? Hurwit suggests that the Geometric imagery defies simple categorization and exemplifies the variety and originality of early Greek art.

The Philip H. Knight Professor in Art History and Classics at the University of Oregon, Hurwit is a leading scholar of ancient Greek art. He received a combined A.B.-M.A. degree in classical languages and literatures from Brown University in 1971 and a Ph.D. in classical art and archaeology from Yale University in 1975. He has been a full professor at the University of Oregon since 1990. Click here to visit his Web site.

Now in its 14th year, the Skidmore's Classical World lecture brings to campus a teacher-scholar renowned for interdisciplinary contributions to the field of classical studies.